Confession time! I don't always swatch, actually I am a criminally lazy swatcher. Mostly, I'll just start a projet and after a couple of rounds I'll measure to see if the measurements are more or less to my liking. And honestly: if you crochet something that doesn't need to be an exact size, it's not that important to swatch. However, the more I crochet, the more I see how useful swatching can be and the more I seem to swatch. That's why I would like to explain why swatching can be something extremely useful and I will also explain how to swatch. Thank you for reading along.

Let's start swatching. I think that the way I swatch is the method mostly used, but I don't have hard proof to support that. Anyway, this is how I do it. take the yarn you picked and take a matching hook. You'll find the hooksize on the yarn wrapper or in your crochet pattern. Crochet a number of chains (the chain should measure about 15 cm). To make your swatch you'll be using the stitch or stitch combination most used in your pattern. So if you pattern uses mainly SC's, swatch using SC's. If your pattern calls for DC's, swatch in DC's. Crochet a couple f rounds until your work is more or less square. Cast off and block your work (I explain here how to do that). When it's dry, take a measuring tape or ruler and measure horizontally cross your work, count the stitches you need for 10cm. Now measure vertically and count how many rown you need for 10 cm. The first and second number make up your gauge.

When making garments, swatching is pretty much a must-do. When you're using a pattern, gauge is almost always stated. By keeping to the stated gauge you'll know how many stitches to cast on for your size and to make sure that size will actually fit you. Having said that, I would always recommend trying a garment on (if possible) during the process of making it, checking the size is right for you. It would be horrible if you'd been crocheting a cardigan for weeks, that would turn out to be too snug or far too large.

This is a good method when making big projects, like blankets. Crochet a swatch of 10 x 10 cm and put it on your kitchen scale. If the swatch weighs, for example, 25 gram this means you need 25 grams of yarn for 10m². If you'd like to make a blanket of 100 x 100 cm, you'll be needing 250 grams of yarn, etc.

Have you bought yarn with a certain gradient in two or more colours? Better make a swatch to see how the gradient plays out in the stitch you have in mind. As you can see in Crafty Queen's Tetris Cowl (free pattern!) the gradient can really give a special effect to a pattern, so you rather know beforehand.

You've been there: in a yarn storem carefully picking the colours for your project, and halfway the project you think: jeez that green isn't bright enough, or that grey makes everything too dreary, or a blue would really spice up this thing. Making a swatch with the colours you've bought will bringthese issues to light immediately, and not while you're halfway on a project. For me, this type of swatching always (serious, always!) shows me that less is in fact more. Fot this particular ripple stitch blanket in Stonewashed XL I picked 5-6 colours, but after making a swatch it became clear that this would just become a bit of a circus and the blanket would look much better with just a basic colour and 3 support colours.

Especially when working with gradient yarns, it's an excellent plan to swwatch before you start. Make a swatch in sc's, hdc's and dc's to see what different effect the yarn will give using these stitches, to deside what the perfect 'basic' stitch for your project will be. But also when you use 'bobble' type stitches, like puff stitches or popcorns you should really try these on a swatch, as the looks of them can vary depending on the yarn you use: a popcorn will look completely different in a mercerized yarn or a more fluffy yarn like Stonewashed.